Thank you, Holly. You have given me more thoughts for my own situation. Always need someone else's input.
Christi
Raised Ponds easy, cheap, fun and portable
Christi, That is one of the things I like best about DG. The exchange of ideas. Discussions that take you down different paths and cause you to think or rethink your conceptions, ideas or plans. I have gotten so much from this wonderful site. Glad that I could give your creative juices some food for thought. LOL
I have been wondering about the pond health in raised beds. Any comments? I saw the one about shade to keep the algae down, but for those of you with pumps, how often are you cleaning the pump to get an ideal flow? I had an in ground pond once that did not have the skimmer/biological falls and I had to clean every couple of days.
I was out this morning just after posting about my algae bloom. Well, it's going away just as I hoped. A couple of days ago I couldn't see anything that wasn't within that 1st inch or two of water. Today I can see to the bottom. Not crystal clear but all the way down to the bottom. Since we moved and rehabbed the box pond it's really only been set up this year for a few weeks and will take awhile to settle in and get the Eco-system working like it should.
Mrs_Ed, You asked about filters. I have a small filter and pump maybe 10X12X3 inches it came with a small fountain attachment. I think it's a small Pond Master, there are two fibrous Biofilter mats together they are about 8X10X1 inch. You just unclip the top, remove and hose off the filters and then replace them. My watering can is attached by a hose instead of the fountain attachment. You're right when the water flow decreases that's when we clean the filters. I put new filters in this year and I haven't had to clean them yet and the water flow is pretty much the same as the first day it was installed several weeks ago.
This message was edited Jul 8, 2008 12:23 PM
wow, that's pretty good.
I know my old one was a box with bio balls in it along with the pump. there were also two mats. I'd have to hose off the mats and pull any gunk out of the pump every few days. That's when I decided that my next pond at the new house (this one) would be one with a falls and skimmer and stream. Pbbbt. Who's had the money for THAT! So I"m exploring other options now. Your post made me go look at other similar ponds. Pretty cool. I like what they are doing in England with "rockeries"
I'll look into the Pond Master pump.
What are rockeries? A link to where you found them would be fine.
I believe a rockery usually refers to an elevated area of alpine plantings among rocks. However, I've been seeing it used in reference to ponds with walled rock or rock features.
http://www.watergardenermagazine.com/node/1489
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-raised-pond-and-rockery/
http://www.pondlandscaping.co.uk/dressingpond.htm
Ok. Those are pretty cool. thanks
This my stock tank. I used a smaller type brick to surround it leaving a space to add plants.
That's pretty nice too!
I just use a tetra pond filter with a pump. You can see it behind the lilies.
My bricks are always sliding in. Wish I could have used the bricks that had a lip on them to keep them more stable.
That's a great idea. May be doing a little remodeling to mine next spring.
Thanks Mrs_Ed. The plants hide the fact that the stock tank is not level!!!
Christi that might help keep your pond cooler. After I put the bricks around it I did line it with a weed barrier type fabric to hold the dirt in.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Mrs Ed great web sites, thanks for the link.
Janet
Are the plants between the bricks and tank in pots or dirt.. if dirt.. how deep do you have it? The bricks hold it in place? I would love to do this with my stock tank.. sure would keep it cooler in the summer.. some days the water is outright warm almost hot.. the fish don't seem to mind but I do.
Tammie
.. it really is beautiful!
Mrs-Ed you asked me on the bird forum to give you a picture of my pond setup. Since I'm finding you here;) I'll post it here.
What I'm not satisfied with, is I can still see the liner, so there is still work to be done to it. Where the brick part is, we had use railroad ties, the years before. DH did the brick work this year,eventually, he wants to do the garden part with brick and the other side along the backyard on this side of the half circle. It's a slope, and I have a flower garden growing there also.
oh wow burn. That's much smaller than I imagined!! seeing the stream in closeup made me think it was HUGE! LOL.
It's very cute. This really excites me that something so small is such a good bird attractor. attractant. attractive to birds. :D
Hmmm, this is definitely something that I might do. We have our electrician friend coming over Saturday to see what we can do for outside electric. What size pump do you have in there.
Cripes, I've hijacked this thread!!!! so sorry.
LOL Mrs-Ed, had to proportion my pond according to my yard. Fooled you :D And thank you. The pumps, I think is a 1300 gal/hr and a1000 gal/hr pressurized UV filter, and the pond is a preformed 260 gal. The painted upside down pail covers the electrical outlets. And I also use it as a stand for potted plants. I had problems with algae this year, and I think it's because it's time to change the bulb in my filter.
For the cleaning part, I gave it a good cleaning once during the summer. I have a back flow also on my pressurized filter, that I use twice.
The noise of running water is very relaxing and works really well to attract birds.
Glad to hear you'll give it another try, you won't be sorry. Let us see the picture when your done.
Greyma what a neat idea you had with that exercise ball.
This message was edited Jul 9, 2008 6:55 PM
Thanks Burn!
That is beautiful, burn. Great work.
LhasaLover...the plants are in dirt...its about 2 ft deep. The top row of bricks is above the level of the dirt and those keep sliding around. The bricks with dirt behind them don't move at all.
Thanks Cajun
Found my favorite little koi floating on top this morning. Will be having surgery onAug. 12 so just took the 5 remaining next door to my neighbors super large pond. Got the shop-vac and cleaned it up real good. Tomorrow we will replant the water plants and start over without fish. After I am back in charge of myself, will start over with the koi.
LouC - I'm so sorry to hear about your tragedy. Hope the surgery goes wall and you recover quickly.
Think it was a Heron or Racoon Christi?
Neither, Sheila. The water has been murky and then clear for 2 weeks. I'm afraid the 6 little koi outgrew their invironment. Becky has 25000 gallons so they will be ok now.
Christi, my thoughts are with you, and I hope your surgery goes well. I'm so sorry about your fish. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing with your recovery. Hugs,
Brenda
25,000 or 2,500? Either way those are some major pond sizes. Puts my 750 gal to shame!
Thanks, B. I'm too mean to keep down very long.
Chris
^_^
Sounds insane, I know. 25,000. This is only half of her pond. Two waterfalls. We have a gate under an arbor between our yards. Veeeerrrry nice.
Christi
Oh, I have seen that pic before on DG. Lovely yard, didn't realize you were a neighbor; that is nice. Glad you can get her to take over your group for you. I need to visit and help do some gardening when you are up to it after surgery. I will have my own patient to take care of for a while here at home when DH has his surgery on the 6th. After he is up and about I will probably be ready to get away somewhere.
Lovely ponds!!!
I've been lurking around the water garden forums reading and looking other then my thread on making a pond to get ideas on plants to put in the one we are finishing up now....glad I popped in here and saw all the great ponds adn posts!
OMG! Christi - Your neighbor's yard is amazing! I am sitting here just drooling! LOL!
Good luck with your surgery! I am sure it will go well and you will be back out in your garden in no time at all!
The pic of your neighbor's pond is gorgeous - she has her own little San Antonio Riverwalk! - Get well quickly!
Kitty
hahahahaha Kitty, that is what we call it. This is an older picture and they are contantly working on it and adding more beauty.
I"ve been to Christi's and it is WOW when you look at both places side by side ......her neighbors yard is fantastic the pictures are great to show it but just not the same as seeing it in person.
Thank you, Phyllis. The door is always open.
Christi